A TALENTED children’s author is hoping her new romantic thriller will capture the imagination of adults.

Dusting Down Alcudia is the first book by award-winning writer Dawn Nelson to be aimed at grown-ups.

Centred around the hunt for a fabled Roman necklace in Alcudia, Mallorca, the romantic thriller follows the journey of archaeologist Nina Esposito as she faces off against a hunky ex-boyfriend, a handsome rival and a ruthless billionaire businessman who will stop at nothing to claim the treasure as his own.

Raised in Neilston and a former pupil of Eastwood High School, Dawn worked as a newspaper journalist before entering public relations.

In 2007, her first children’s novel, DarkIsle, was published, winning the Royal Mail Award for Scottish Children’s Books, reports the Barrhead News.

Dawn, who writes under the name DA Nelson, said her new novel is “for anyone who likes a great story, a bit of romance and tonnes of adventure.”

She added: “Nina is half Glaswegian, half Spanish. In fact, it was her late Mallorcan father who first told her about the fabled lost necklace.

“When she finds the diary of an old treasure hunter, Nina knows she must go and find the necklace – or die trying. Along the way, she meets up with her old flame Roberto and a hated rival, Jay Reynolds.

“Who will she team up with? Who wins her heart? Get a copy of the book and find out.”

The story was inspired by a trip Dawn took to Alcudia, where she fell in love with the medieval old town and surrounding Roman sites.

Dawn, who now lives in Argyll, said: “One day, whilst sitting outside a café in the Old Town – the one I base the café in the book on – I thought ‘what if someone came here hunting for Roman treasure?’ and a story began to form in my mind.

“I knew I wanted a lady archaeologist to lead the story and to mix in a bit of romance and adventure.”

To celebrate the launch of Dusting Down Alcudia, now available as a paperback, e-book and large print paperback on Amazon, Dawn has made a short pdf character book available for free on her website.

To get a copy, go to www.danelsonauthor.com.